Roller shades, or blinds as they are sometimes referred to, are common forms of window coverings used in residential and commercial applications. Roller shades are typically mounted within or exterior to a window frame by means of mounting brackets that are screwed or otherwise fastened to structural elements of the window frame or the wall and/or ceiling adjacent to the window frame. It is in most cases desirable to mount the brackets such that the roller shade is positioned as close as possible (or practical) to the window frame, the wall and/or the ceiling in order to minimize the amount of light infiltration or leakage into the room. However, care must also be taken to provide sufficient spacing between the roller and the window to permit the blind fabric to be wound or unwound upon the roller tube without binding upon either the wall, ceiling, window frame or glass.
Typically, the roller tube upon which the blind or shade fabric is received has one end that is generally referred to as the idler end and a second or drive end that cooperates or otherwise is engaged by some form of drive mechanism. The idler end will commonly include an axle or bearing structure that supports the end of the roller tube, while still allowing it to rotate about its longitudinal axis. The drive end will typically be engaged by a clutch that is rotated by a drive mechanism to permit a controlled rotation of the roller tube and to enable the blind to be either raised or lowered. The drive mechanism may involve a chain or cord which can be pulled to rotate the roller tube. However, increasingly it is becoming common to impart rotational movement to the roller tube through the use of an electric motor.
The roller tube and the other components of the shade or blind are most commonly mounted in place about a window using a pair of end brackets. During installation the end brackets are fastened to the window frame, wall or ceiling, after which the roller rube is secured or hung from the two brackets. While installing the brackets in many instances does not present difficulty, securing the roller tube to the end brackets can at times be tedious, particularly in cases where the roller tube is of an extended length or significant weight (for example, where the tube includes an electric motor). In such cases an installer must often struggle with attempting to hold the roller tube with one hand while securing it within one of the end brackets using the other hand, or resort to employing the assistance of an additional individual to hold one end of the tube while the other end is secured to one of the end brackets. In either case, installation of the blind can become difficult, or can involve an increase in labour costs.